Lapras

Lapras in the anime: Ash's ferry through the Orange Islands

Ash met his Lapras in "The Lost Lapras," where he and his friends found a young one separated from its herd and being mistreated by three boys on Tangelo Island. It came to trust Ash after he rescued it from Team Rocket, and it joined him on his promise to find its family. Through the Orange Islands it served mainly as the group's ferry between islands, and it battled for Ash in his Orange League gym challenges before he reunited it with its herd in "Viva Las Lapras."

Ash met it again in "Lapras of Luxury," now grown into an adult, and helped save its herd from Team Rocket. The herd's leader then stepped aside and let Ash's Lapras lead as the group resumed its migration away from Johto.

Lapras on cards: Fossil holo to Misty's Lapras

Lapras's first card is the Fossil holo rare from October 1999, illustrated by Ken Sugimori. It returned in Southern Islands (2001), a fixed collection whose cards carry no rarity symbols, with art by Naoyo Kimura, and in Skyridge (2003). Our catalog lists 48 Lapras printings across 36 sets, most heavily in the Sword & Shield era (14).

Ruby & Sapphire (2003) gave Lapras an EX-era ex card, and Sun & Moon printed a Secret Rare Lapras GX in 2017. The first Sword & Shield set followed with a Secret Rare Lapras VMAX in 2020, and Shining Fates' Shiny Vault subset paired a shiny Lapras V with a shiny Lapras VMAX in 2021. Destined Rivals (2025) added an Illustration rare Misty's Lapras by Orca, and Perfect Order (2026) printed Lapras ex in the Mega Evolution era.

5ban Graphics holds the most Lapras credits in our catalog (12), including the GX, VMAX and Shiny Vault cards.

Why collectors care about Lapras

Lapras never evolves, so every card shows the same Pokémon rather than one stage of a longer line, and its card history runs from a 1999 Fossil holo through Secret Rare GX and VMAX printings and a pair of Shiny Vault cards to Misty's Lapras. Its anime role as the gentle ferry of Ash's Orange Islands journey gives those cards a story collectors recognize.

Cards to know

• Lapras (Fossil #10)

  Lapras's first card, a 1999 Fossil holo rare illustrated by Ken Sugimori.

• Lapras ex (Ruby & Sapphire #99)

  An EX-era ex card from the first set of the EX era.

• Lapras GX (Sun & Moon #151)

  A Secret Rare Lapras GX from the 2017 Sun & Moon base set.

• Lapras VMAX (Shining Fates Shiny Vault #SV111)

  A shiny rare VMAX from the Shiny Vault subset, paired with a matching shiny Lapras V in the same set.

• Misty's Lapras (Destined Rivals #194)

  A 2025 Illustration rare by Orca that ties Lapras to Misty.

• Lapras ex (Perfect Order #022)

  A Double rare Lapras ex from Perfect Order (2026), in the Mega Evolution era.